Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “-on” come from?

-on (French) comes from Ancient Greek -ός, from Proto-Hellenic *-os, from Proto-Indo-European -ós — Creates agent nouns from verb stems, denoting...

-on (French): Forming diminutives of things, including some...

Definitions

  1. Forming diminutives of things, including some...

Ancestry of “-on”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greek-ός—
2Proto-Hellenic*-os—
3Proto-Indo-European-ósCreates agent nouns from verb stems, denoting...

Words derived from “-on”

  • platoon
  • coupon
  • medallion
  • crayon
  • echelon
  • chiffon
  • bouillon
  • rayon
  • spittoon
  • feuilleton
  • trunnion
  • jitney
  • chiffonier
  • aileron
  • chaldron
  • magneton
  • peloton
  • couponing
  • lorgnon
  • tourbillon
  • musketoon
  • vigneron
  • saucisson
  • mamelon
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -ós →